Example: Aan het einde van de dag moet ik de balans opmaken.
Definition
"De balans opmaken" means to assess or evaluate a situation, often by reviewing all factors or outcomes to understand the overall result. For example, at the end of the day, one reflects on what has happened and forms a conclusion or summary.
The phrase "de balans opmaken" literally translates from Dutch as 'to make up the balance.' It originated from bookkeeping practices where one 'makes up the balance' by totaling accounts to see the final financial status. Over time, it evolved into a general expression for reviewing or summarizing any situation.
Learn to use this expression actively
"De balans opmaken" appears in the Vocaplus list "Dutch - General - Idioms and Proverbs - (C1) - set 1", containing 100 commonly used expressions.
Would you like to not only understand these expressions, but also remember them and use them actively? Create a free account and select Dutch as the language you want to learn.
to take stock